Fall migration is in full swing at Cheyenne Bottoms.  However, the drought still has a grasp on the wetlands and has greatly limited the wetland habitat available to newly arriving migrants.  But, areas that contain standing water are typically loaded with birds right now, and it has been nice to see the activity in the wetlands after a year of having no water.

At Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area, Pool 1a and 3a are the pools with the most significant water present. Both pools are at 11”-12” depth.  There are still a couple isolated low spots holding water in Pool 1b, 2, 5, and the inlet canal. Other pools of Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area are currently dry.  There are a few small, isolated basins holding shallow surface water on TNC’s Cheyenne Bottoms Preserve.

At this time of year, waterfowl are the main group of birds increasing in numbers and diversity.  Fall migrant shorebirds can still be relatively abundant in the shallow water areas.  Other wetland birds (e.g. herons, egrets, avocets, ibis, stilts, pelicans, gulls, and terns) can also still be seen.  Greater white-fronted geese have shown up very recently and will continue to increase in number.  The first Sandhill cranes also have been observed arriving in the last week and should increase in frequency in the coming weeks.

Quivira NWR continues to have some surface water available as well and is worth a view. Check out http://fws.gov/refuge/Quivira or call the Quivira NWR Headquarters at 620-410-4011 for updated conditions.

Give us your reports.  We rely heavily on other birders to know what is being seen at Cheyenne Bottoms.  Submit reports to Ebird or email your observations to wetlandscenter@fhsu.edu.

Here is a list birds that have been reported over the last couple weeks:

• Snow Goose
• Greater white-fronted Goose
• Canada Goose
• Wood Duck
• Blue-winged Teal
• Northern Shoveler
• Gadwall
• American Wigeon
• Mallard
• Northern Pintail
• Green-winged Teal
• Redhead
• Ruddy Duck
• Northern Bobwhite
• Wild Turkey
• Ring-necked Pheasant
• Pied-billed Grebe
• Eurasian Collared-Dove
• Mourning Dove
• Sora
• American Coot
• Limpkin
• Sandhill Crane
• Black-necked Stilt
• American Avocet
• Black-bellied Plover
• American Golden-Plover
• Semipalmated Plover
• Killdeer
• Sanderling
• Baird’s Sandpiper
• Least Sandpiper
• Pectoral Sandpiper
• Semipalmated Sandpiper
• Long-billed Dowitcher
• Wilson’s Snipe
• Wilson’s Phalarope
• Greater Yellowlegs
• Willet
• Lesser Yellowlegs
• Franklin’s Gull
• Ring-billed Gull
• Herring Gull
• Lesser Black-backed Gull
• Black Tern
• Double-crested Cormorant
• American White Pelican
• American Bittern
• Great Blue Heron
• Great Egret
• Snowy Egret
• Cattle Egret
• Green Heron
• Black-crowned Night Heron
• White-faced Ibis
• Turkey Vulture
• Osprey
• Northern Harrier
• Cooper’s Hawk
• Bald Eagle
• Red-tailed Hawk
• Barn Owl
• Great-horned Owl
• Downy Woodpecker
• Northern Flicker
• American Kestrel
• Loggerhead Shrike
• Blue Jay
• American Crow
• Horned Lark
• Tree Swallow
• Barn Swallow
• Cliff Swallow
• Marsh Wren
• European Starling
• American Robin
• House Sparrow
• House Finch
• American Goldfinch
• Savannah Sparrow
• Yellow-headed Blackbird
• Western Meadowlark
• Eastern Meadowlark
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Brown-headed Cowbird
• Common Grackle
• Great-tailed Grackle
• Northern Cardinal